The Odds are Never in Your Favor
by Kittyistwix
Summary: After a failed rebellion, a new gamemaker rises to power. Twenty-four new tributes are thrown into an all out battle royal against one another, and only one will come out alive and not in a casket. Will it be yours? SYOC, closed.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N Yes, it's an SYOC, check out my profile for the forum! If you can catch what I reference to throughout this chapter, you get the bonus Sponsor Points (see rules on profile for more information). Hint: It's after a video game**_

_**Introduction, Future GameMaker Theo Cyrillus's POV**_

The pristine window in the office room of the Ultra-Luxe penthouse suite overlooked the entire Capitol. But I never paid any attention to the beautiful lights or the common happenings of the lower citizens; I focused solely on the billboard that hovered over it all. A shining beacon to anyone who aspired to be more than the slum of the norm, my face beamed back at me on the picture. I had it built when my career was at its peak, as movie and script writing roles poured through my messages and I was the face of the big screen. But in the last few months, the only role I had been offered was script writer for some off-brand toothpaste commercial.

I wasn't sure about exactly what happened with my career; I was still young at twenty-seven, as handsome as ever, and a better actor than any of the idiots the business calls talented. I figured people had just gotten tired of the pretty-boy role I had always filled in scripts. Or maybe it was just some pretty shitty luck.

A rhythmic beeping coming from my intercom system distracted me from admiring my clean face on the billboard. I pressed my finger to the little round button to let the message through. "What is it?" I asked the greeter at the front desk.

"Your assistant is on her way up, man. You got 15 minutes." I smiled and thought of the little kitten that prowling her way to my suite. Neena was her name.

"Briefcase or purse?"

"Purse." He replied, confused.

"Ah, then it's casual." I said grinning. "Get an avox up here, tell em' to bring some fresh flowers, make sure they're roses, and a bottle of wine. Not the cheap shit either." I sighed into the intercom and released the button. Seconds later, an avox girl came in with what I asked. I threw her out and arranged a little setup at the table for my baby doll and I. Repeated knocks on the door alerted me. I stopped by the mirror to check myself; 'Beautiful_ smile? Check. Nice hair? Check. Still gorgeous? Check and mate.'_ I thought before I ran my perfect hands through my dirty blonde hair, and left towards the door.

I opened it with a grin, "Pussycat! Well ain't this platinum! Had I known, I would've baked a cake! Glad you finally took me up on my offer." Neena pushed me out of the doorframe with the surgically attached talons on her long fingers. Her crimson hair spilled onto her shoulders and covered one of the many large black feather tattoos that graced her nimble frame. The same frame many cameras had the pleasure of seeing unmarred by the imperfection of clothing, but that I hadn't had the same opportunity.

"Don't flatter yourself." She said as she sat at the bar counter.

"You know, baby, that hard to get act you've been doing since we met is really starting to make me think you really don't like me!" I joked and sat next to her.

"Awe, I wonder why." She said sarcastically and emptied her purse on the counter, a manila folder spilled out.

"So what'll it be? Business or pleasure?"

"It's all business, keep it that way."

"You're breaking my heart baby!" I laughed as I clutched a hand on my chest and pretended to have a heart attack. "But color me intrigued, so shoot."

"Theo, baby, this folder I have here is the single best thing to ever happen to us. You won't believe it." She smiled and thumped a talon against it, tearing the cover and pushing it my way. I picked the thing up and flipped to the first page. A short letter was scrawled on crisp white papyrus paper and was signed by the big man himself caught my eye. "He wants you to be the gamemaker, baby! This is our big break." She put her hands on my shoulders and let out a laugh of pure amazement.

She grabbed the bottle of wine from the table and brought it over. "You're gonna be sending twenty-four whiney brats to their death in any damn setting you choose, you'll need this." She cracked open the red bottle, "It's your time to shine, killer." She kissed my cheek and backed out of the suite. I smiled, '_My time to shine.'_ This is my big break. No longer will I be forced to put myself through hours of creating a script that will only be trashed by some fat cat director in his studio apartment. No, I'll be the big man, the head honcho.

I picked up the folder and went to the intercom. My free hand graced the button after I let out an unbelieving laugh.

"How'd it go?" The deskman asked.

"Well baby, I guess you could say that I got lucky." I smirked and tapped the little yellow folder. So very, very lucky.

_**(A/N) Sorry, I know it isn't the best, but I'll only improve c:. Tell me what you think, and check out the SYOC forum on my page for more info! **_


	2. District One Reapings

_**(A/N) Sorry I've taken so long to update, but I was just waiting for both the male and female tributes from District 1 to be submitted before I began to write. I'll be doing this one district at a time, and publish it in order. I'll probably only use one tribute from each district to write the reapings, sorry ;C…. please don't get mad! So this is a little sample on how I'll be writing the games, if it gets confusing, tell me and I'll try out a new style. Also, if you're unhappy with how I write your tribute, please tell me! Just be polite about it and I'll do my best to fix it. Now, I present: The District One Reapings. **_

_**The morning of the reapings, POV~ Silena Sinclair**_

A soft buzzing emitting from my alarm clock aroused me from my sleep. My small hands found the clock and turned it off as I got out of bed and stretched. I went over to my white dresser and pulled out my training jumpsuit and one of my polished swords. I walked outside to our training courtyard and let the summer sky grace me with its praise, as it knows that I am more beautiful than it. Even though the reapings awaited me, I felt the need to train. Today would be my last chance to pay for the murder of my mother by my bloodstained hands, or so my father says. I don't remember murdering her, since I had only been in the world for a few second when it happened. Only winning the games would make my dad forgive me.

After an hour of my rigorous training, which include me swinging at any target I could find in our yard, I headed upstairs and grabbed our phone. I called my best friend Jane and told she should head on over so we could get ready for the reaping. This was a tradition for us on regular days, she would come over and we'd get ready and leave for school together. On reaping days, though, she would bring her dad and brother over, too. Her father, Victor, gave me all the necessary love a father should give while mine gave the discipline; I knew I could trust him with anything. Her brother, Antony, was the District One mentor for the games; he'd been training me to win ever since he came back from his games.

I heard a knock on the door and ran down the stairs. Three pair of arms reached out to hug me when I opened the door. "There's the high roller! How'd training go, kiddo?" Antony asked and put an arm around me.

"I tried out the bow you got me last December, proud to say that I missed every target!" I smiled at him. Victor and him both wore their best suits, and looked as handsome as ever. Jane grabbed my hand and dragged me to my room. "Alright, so what are we dealing with today?" I asked and smiled as I opened my dresser door.

"Well I was thinking beige, but blue seems to be hit." She said and stared at my bounty of clothing. Unfortunately, she wasn't as rich or as pretty as I, but she still made a decent friend.

"White it is!" I said and threw her a couple of dresses. I settled for a little white number with a diamond studded belt and she took a flowing dress that did everything but flatter her figure. I was almost embarrassing to see her try to put her boyish body into one of my dresses thats meant for my subtle curves. I put my long black hair up in a bun with my diamond barrette and we left for the square.

"It's a shame the squares going to be so crowded today, it's actually nice outside." I said as we entered.

"Yeah, I'll meet up with you after the reaping, I gotta go sign in." She said and we parted. It took about fifty minutes of standing in a disorganized line with the filth of the district on either side of me for the Peace Keepers to finally get me checked in. I kept my head down as the tacky Capitol woman gave her little speech and rolled the film.

"Now, for the drawing! Ladies first!" She said and reached her horribly painted nails into the crystal ball before I finally spoke up.

"I volunteer!" I shouted towards the stage. From the crowd I could see Jane and her families head whip around and stare at me, mouths agape.

"Oh… well this is a change. Come on up sweetie." The woman said. I gave a huge smirk as I gave a little strut to the stage. I climbed up the steps and beamed at her. "What's your name, hon?" I stared at the cameras, smiled, and said clearly,

"Silena Cordelia Sinclair"

"And how old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Alright, well let's hear a round of applause for Silena!" She shouted into her microphone as the crowd cheered. "And now, the boys." She walked over to the other crystal ball and reached down into it. Her hand emerged, clutching a slit of paper. "Hunter Blackard!" The crowd cheered as a handsome boy with a muscular body and bronze-golden walked up to the stage. He locked his bright blue eyes with mine while he walked to his spot and gave me a smile, the scar on his upper lip turning into a smirk. I looked down to hide my blush as he bowed and did the same to the cameras. _He's good, but I'm better._ I thought.

_**(A/N) Sorry it's so long, and not that great, but I hope you enjoyed it! Sorry for any errors, but I didn't have the chance to preview it before i submitted it :c if you see anything big, just PM me. If Hunter's creator really wants me to, I'll make one from his perspective as well, Just PM me about it. I'll write the goodbyes soon. **_


	3. District One Reapings, pt 2

_**(A/N) Here's Hunter's side of the reapings, sorry if it's not terribly well detailed, but I had a lot to do recently for a friend's birthday. Hope you enjoy~**_

**District One Reaping, Hunter Blackard's POV**

Small hands mused with my blonde hair as daylight peaked through our tablecloth curtains, waking me up. I sat up on our lumpy mattress and squinted at my little brother, Knife. "Hey champ, what are you doing up so early?" I whispered and moved his hands from my head. A little smirk crept across his face, making him look like a little me. He'd be a real lady-killer one day, just like the rest of the men in our family.

"Today's the day." He jumped off the bed and dragged me out. He was pretty weak for someone who's been training their entire life, but I played along. I knew what he was so excited about before he even spoke, but I didn't want to put out his fire.

"Say it ain't so!" I joked and stretched my muscles.

"I'm so excited, it's my first games! Mama says she's going to be disappointed if I don't volunteer." He smiled his little smirk at this, but I knew he was terrified about going in the games. We all were on our first year. I wouldn't even let him volunteer; it's my last time to make this happen, and I can't let him steal all the thunder.

"Don't worry about her, kiddo. She's just proud you're all grown up now." I smiled and roughed up his hair. "Now go tell her to make the winners some breakfast, ha." I laughed and pushed him out of our room. I walked over to the window and pulled open the cloth. Golden rays illuminated our bedroom and I heard Fighter, my older brother, stir on his cot. "Rise and shine, cupcake." I smiled and sat on the floor next to him.

"Today's the day, huh?" He asked and I nodded. "So how's this gonna play out?"

"I'm not going to let him volunteer…this is my last chance to bring some honor to this family, and I'm not going to fuck it up."

"And what if you're not pulled?"

"I've got my name in there at least forty-something times now, since I took the tessarea. And even if I'm not called, I'll volunteer."

"Yeah, right. Just like I was going to?" He asked and touched his left leg. His accident left our whole family grieving and financially ruined, but I couldn't blame him for that. I loved him too much to make my usual snide remark, and looked him in the eye.

"What happened to you was not your fault. We all know you would've volunteered if you had the opportunity, and we weren't going to get yourself killed by going in with your injury."

"I would've won." He sneered and stepped out of bed. He shifted his weight to his right leg and almost tumbled over.

"You would've died, now shut up and get ready." I said and helped him level himself. He pretended to be angry and even took a swing at me, but I just smiled and helped him out of the room. He knew I was joking.

"There you are! Took your sweet time didn't you?" I heard my mother's shrill, annoying voice pierce the air and almost ran for my room again.

"Well it's not like we had any of your help." I retorted and rolled my eyes at her. Fighter and I sat at the rotting dining table and ate out meager breakfast of oatmeal and bread. It's a wonder how any of us kept our muscle with this slop we're eating.

"God forbid I keep this house in order instead of helping you and your brother wake up." She glared at us from across the table. "Now listen to me, this is your only chance to bring anything but shame to this family. Are you really going to roll over and let your little brother be the star? When you get out there, you will volunteer. Do I make myself clear?" She asked.

"And if I don't?" I asked, challenging her.

"Then don't bother coming back home. I couldn't stand the humiliation of two of my sons wasting their lives." She said and left the table. I patted Fighters shoulder and signaled to our room. Fighter, Knife, and I left for our room to get ready.

We decided to match and each put on a clean, black tux. I had clipped a red rose from my mother's bushes to add a little flare. I washed the grease off my face and ran a hand through my hair. I pretended I was in front of the crowd and gave my signature smile. I touched the little scar on my mouth and shivered as I remembered how I got it.

I got it when I was 6, Fighter and I had found a passageway leading to the woods. Even though we weren't allowed in, Fighter insisted, telling me that he wanted to see the capitol. Stupidly, he assumed the capitol was somewhere behind the woods. Peacekeepers found us, and Fighter was able to escape. I, who was regrettably weaker than him, was caught. The peacekeepers beat me, and I pulled out a knife I had forgotten to leave at a training session. The peacekeepers grabbed it and slashed me on the face. A nicer peacekeeper ordered the others to stop, but they did their damage. Fighter brought me home, and I had to stop training for weeks. The bruises and cuts healed, but the scar remained.

The three of us left the house together and made our way to the District square. As usual, we caught a group of bland girls gawking at us and debating whether or not to approach us. My brother looked away and walked towards the check-in. But I simple could not let their flattery go unnoticed; I gave them my slyest smile and winked. They practically melted on the spot.

I patiently checked in and walked up to the stage side of the square. The escort called out some female name and another volunteered. The girls name was unremarkable and bland, but her face was told different story. She was beautiful, almost more so than myself. Her black hair was tied into a bun and her pale, slim figure was hidden in a short white dress. Her blue eyes seemed to lock with mine as I stared at her, I almost didn't even hear the escort call out my name. I gave a huge smile to each and every camera. I winked at a few of them, and even blew a kiss. I prowled up the stairs and locked eyes with the girls and gave her a little taste of the smile she'll come to love.

_**(A/N Again, sorry it's so long~ Hope the ending wasn't too cheesy, and you enjoyed it! I'll start the goodbyes now, and get up the District Two reapings soon~**_

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	4. District One Goodbyes

_**(A/N) I know they're short, but here are the DISTRICT ONE goodbyes~**_

**District One Goodbyes Silena Sinclair's POV **

I waited for my father to barge in the door of the room I waited in, but he never came. It was so like him to forget about me, although I figured he would at least want to say goodbye or good luck before I slaughtered twenty-three kids… Or maybe I figured he would want to tell me about how I have to win, to make up for my mother's death… After the silence became a bit too much, Antony and Jane came through the door. "I can't believe you actually did it…." Jane said and threw her arms around me and smiled. I wanted to tell her how much I loved her and would miss her, but I just grinned. "I thought you were totally just bluffing when you said you were going to, but this is so cool! You might just put Antony out of the job when you win." She laughed and stepped away.

"Ha! Don't say that, or he might let me lose!" I joked and playfully pushed her. Antony didn't seem amused when he sat next to me on the velvet couch.

"Give me your hand." He said, and spread out my fingers. He pulled a little gold ring out of his pocket. The ring had large, sparkling diamonds that smiled up at me and seamed to scream my name. He placed it on my ring finger and returned my hand.

"Well, this is sudden! I wish I would've known we were dating before you proposed!" I laughed and stared at the ring. He pretended to frown, but I could see the smile in his eyes.

"Oh shut up. Your dad wanted me to give you this…It was your mother's wedding ring." It was so typical of my father to do this. God forbid he gives his child any sign of affection without using someone else to do it.

"Thanks, Antony, this means a lot." I said and hugged him.

"Now don't get all sentimental on me, kiddo. Remember, I've got to train you to be a cold-blooded killer." He smiled and put his arm around me.

"Haven't you already done that?" I smiled. I said a few last goodbyes to Jane, told her to feed my dog and such, and told Antony to meet me on the train before the Peacekeepers dragged them off. I turned the ring over and over on my delicate finger and choked back the tears that came from me thinking about my mom. _I'm sorry…_I thought and walked out of the building.

**District One Goodbyes Hunter Blackard's POV**

I watched as my parents entered the room and sat opposite of me. My father looked at me awkwardly and rubbed his arm. "So, hmm…well, Hunter, you know were so proud of you…And we love you, right?"

"Yeah, dad…I love you guys, too…" I hugged him and smiled. The whole affair seemed a bit strange, as my parents hardly ever said anything affectionate. I knew my father loved us, but he hid behind the witch I call my mother. I couldn't find anything else to tell them and we just sat on the couch. I'm sure my mother rambled on about how she would finally have a victor son and some other bull shit, but I ignored her. Finally, the Peacekeepers took them away and brought in my brothers.

Knife could hardly contain himself as he waited for the door to close. When he was sure we were alone, he flung himself at me and began to sob. I brushed his hair back with my hand and gave him a hug. "Hey kiddo, don't go all soft on me. You know I'll see you again…" I said and stepped back. He handed me a little pendant with detailed carvings etched into it. "What's this?" I asked and stared at it.

"I-I made it for you…It'll be your token, all right?" He said and continued to cry, wiping at the snot dripping from his nose.

"You made this for me? I love you so much, kid. Don't worry, I swear on my life that I'll be home in a few months and everything will be good as new…okay?"

"Do you promise?"

"I promise, buddy." He nodded his head and clung to me again. I looked up at Fighter, who was staring at us. I let go of Knife and put my arms around Fighter. He whispered 'good luck' at me before the Peacekeepers came back. Knife kicked and cried as they dragged him out and Fighter tried to fight back his tears.

_I promise…_


	5. District Two Reapings, pt 1

_**(A/N) So I figured I would just put both tribute reapings together so no one feels left out~ but I will post them female first, male second. Each getting their own chapter. I still have quite a large amount of tribute spots open, so I would absolutely adore it if you could either spread the word a bit –or- submit another tribute. And, I have noticed that some of you dears have noticed that I forgot the cameos for the last few chapters, and I'm so very sorry about that! To make up for it, everyone who submitted a tribute gets an extra 20 points automatically. I decided that cameos might not be the best idea, so I will include a sponsor question at the end of the chapter. You'll get your points if you answer it correctly (Please PM the answer!) Also, I want to say thank you to everyone being so supportive, it makes it so much easier to write when I have amazing reviewers! By the way, I'll be looking for a beta-reader, if you're interested, PM or Email me~ **_

**District Two Reapings, Jennifer Jareau P.O.V**

I sat down at the stone fireplace in my grand house and smiled. It was one of those pleasantly quiet mornings where my entire family was sound asleep and I was free to do whatever the hell I wanted to. As always, I settled down by striking up a fire and watching as the flames licked at stones that caged it in. I felt for the fire, knowing how it feels to be contained and unable to escape the dullness, but I loved my family with all of my heart and can't leave them. I quickly ran my hand over the flame and played with the fire, making sure not to get burned, when I heard soft footsteps coming towards the room. My eyes widened when I turned my head to the hallway, my tiny cousin, Astor, stood and stared back. I patted the seat next to me and smiled.

"Good morning princess, you ready for today?" I asked and gave her a hug. Tears formed in her eyes as she shook her head and began to cry.

"I had the dream again…the one where I was called..." She buried her head in my hair and tried to quiet her crying. This dream had plagued her ever since she began her training when she was little. We had tried to stop it by making her quit the training, but they still came every once and awhile. It was actually a group effort to get out of the training, Matthew and I had no concern for entering the games and our lack of interest eventually drove our victor father to abandoning our family for some tramp with kids.

"You know I won't let that happen." I said and wiped away her tears. I saw Matthew look down the hall at us and walk into the kitchen, I got up and left Astor on the couch and followed him. "You know, I really could've used some support back there, since guys are so good at relating their feelings and all." I sarcastically whispered and rolled my eyes at him.

"Hey, it's not my fault I've learned to avoid any social interaction with a crying teenager, what's with her anyways?" He asked, referring to the crying angel in the next room, and started up a pot of slime which I assumed would be our breakfast.

"She's just bit shaken up about the reapings today." I took my spot by the table and set it up for the seven people who would soon inhabit the kitchen, gnawing at our feet for their breakfast and coffee.

"She had the dream again, huh?" I nodded and looked up at him. "Next topic! So, do you think we'll see dad at the square this year?" He asked. I didn't even want to think of that bastard, yet alone see him. The ass had the nerve to abandon our family simply because his children didn't want to fight in the games he had this mighty need for all of us to be victors just like him.

"He better pray he doesn't… but you can be damn sure that we'll see his tramp's kids there. I swear if they have the nerve to start something…" I trailed off and let the anger roll off of me. He grabbed my arm and caught my eye.

"The last thing we need is for you to start something, JJ. We have enough trouble keeping this family together as is without you getting arrested by the Peacekeepers for some petty little fight." I shook him off and sat in silence as I waited for everyone to come in the kitchen. There was my mother, my stepfather Christopher, Astor, and my stepsisters Ginny and Lily. It was a pretty full house.

After breakfast, Ginny and I got ready for the games. I chose a simple pink-cloth shirt and jeans while the rest of my family decked it out in dresses and suits. I held Lily and Astor's hands as we walked to the square and checked in. We were about to walk to the stage when I saw Matthew fighting with two boys. I walked a bit closer and noticed the bastards Danny and Kyle, my father's new children, trying to start something. Matthew could handle himself in a fight, but I didn't want to try my luck.

I walked over the the group and pushed the idiots away from my brother. Kyle put up his hands as if he was trying to take a swing at me. "If you're gonna swing then you better not miss." I said and put up my fists. Astor tugged at my shirt while a female Peacekeeper held me back. "You got lucky this time, punks, but if I ever catch you trying to hurt my family again, you'll wish it was the Peacekeepers who got to you." I shrugged the woman off and walked over to my little group of friends. Sydney, Brianne, and Neil welcomed my with hugs.

"So, did you see our escort this year? Apparently having hair the color of liquid cheese and highlighted vomit is all the rage in the capitol this year!" Neil laughed and walked with me to the stage. He was right; our escort looked absolutely horrible with his awkward hair and the fake golden-toothed smile that was plastered on his face.

"Welcome all to the annual Hunger Games!" He smiled and waved to the crowd. "Now before we begin, I'd like to show you all something! Roll the clip." He said and gestured to the projection screen that began to roll a dull film on the rebellion and why we should all be honored to die for the amusement of others. After the clip was done, our escort gestured to the crystal balls that held each of our names. "Ladies first!" He sang and reached his hand into the ball. He pulled out a little slip and held it to the sun. "Will a Miss Astor Jareau please come to the stage?" The escort smiled as my face twisted into a mix of shock and rage. Before I even thought about it, my hand shot up into the air.

"I volunteer!" I shouted. Ginny was trying to do the same, but I put my free hand over her mouth and told her to keep quiet. I ran to the stage and tried to mask my horror as the escort held the microphone to me.

"O-okay sweetie, and would you care to tell us your name?" He asked, faking his cheap smile.

"Jennifer Summer Jareau." I looked down at my feet and wiped a tear from my cheek.

"And how old are you, Jennifer?"

"Sixteen."

"Very well, let's hear a round of applause for Miss Jareau!" He shouted and pulled me to the side as the crowd cheered. I almost fell to my knees before he called out the male tribute, which happened to be a volunteered for by Marco Kindler. He was tall and lean, with blonde hair and blue eyes similar to mine. I knew him from school; he was one of the popular boys who had no true friends and a bunch of lackies that follow him around. I know I can't take him in a real fight, but if I could get him to trust me, I might just be able to stab him while his back is turned.

SPONSER QUESTION: WHO INVENTED THE LIGHTBULB? (Easy question, right?)

_**(A/N) I know it's short, but I hope you enjoyed. I'll admit it was a bit rushed, and if you'd really like for me to rewrite, it just ask. I'll write the other tributes POV tomorrow c;.) **_


	6. District Two Reapings, pt 2

_**(A/N) This reaping might be a tad bit shorter than the others, because this was a less descriptive tribute than his district counterpart (Please don't be offended by this! :c) And in other news, I've gotten a pancake-making beta reader of doom~ Fluteorwrite. Thank you to her, and the reviewers for all for the nice reviews~**_

**District Two Reaping, Marco Kindler's POV**

The lamp at my bedside illuminated my bedroom as I stretched after my morning training. I had always left the lamp on at night because the dark terrified me more than anything, even death. I figured that I would be protected from the latter due to all the training sessions I'd gone through since I was a kid. And I'm sure the lapdogs that stalked me around school would be leaving said training sessions right about now, heading towards my house at any minute. You can't call these guys friends, they were all posers; all they cared about was my social status.

I threw on a nice white shirt and cloth pants and headed into the kitchen. I would've gone with the standard tux, but I didn't want the group to laugh at me. My mother smiled at me as I walked in the room and served the typical bodybuilder breakfast of eggs and a strange meat. She wasn't always the best mom, but I knew had a hard time raising me after her and my father got divorced. "Good morning, honey. Hurry up and eat, your little friends are here to take you to the reapings." She said cheerfully. I wasn't really sure if she had listened to me when I said I was volunteering, or if she just thought I was joking, but she seemed proud enough. She'll be so happy when I bring home the key to our future Victor's Village mansion.

"Yeah yeah I'm going, see you later mom." I said and gave her a hug. I pulled on some boots over my pants and slugged out the door. Surprisingly, only one of the pathetic pups had wandered to my house this morning. But, unfortunately, it was the one who truly did stalk me. "H-hey Maria...So where's the rest of the gang?" I grudgingly walked beside her as we headed to the square.

"Oh, I figured that I'd get some alone time with you before the big reapings!" She smiled and tried link her arm with mine. I shrugged her off and put a little distance between us. "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick? You aren't mad at me right?" She looked up at me and began to get a bit teary-eyed. I sighed and thought of the best way to break the fact we're not, or ever, going to be together.

"No, no I'm fine…It's just, well…I don't like you like you like me. I've been trying to tell you this ever since you began stalking me everywhere. I'm not trying to be an ass, but it's getting really creepy, and people are starting to talk…"

"What do you mean you don't like me? You took me to homecoming last year!"

"The hell I did! All of us went as a group, we didn't even dance! Look, I'm sorry, but this is getting to be bad for my rep. Why don't you just go to the square by yourself, and you can stay the hell away from me." I made sure she got the idea and walked away. I knew she wouldn't leave me alone until the day I died, but this ought to make her think twice.

I met up with the group and we all got checked in. I made sure I got a good place by the stage so I could run up when I volunteered. Competition can be fierce among us trainees. A male peacekeeper with a cheesy hairdo, which actually was the color of cheese, walked onto the stage and fiddled with a film clip.

"Welcome all to the annual Hunger Games!" He smiled and waved to the crowd. "Now before we begin, I'd like to show you all something! Roll the clip." He said and gestured to the projection screen; I sat patiently through the clip and waited for the female tribute to be called."Ladies first!" He sang and reached his hand into the ball. He pulled out a little slip and held it to the crowd. "Will a Miss Astor Jareau please come to the stage?" The escort smiled as a little girl, probably thirteen fell in the crowd. I laughed a smiled at my group.

"She'll be easy to take down." I said and waited for her to go to the stage. A hand reached into the air and I heard a woman say,

"I volunteer!" The girl fought with another over it for a brief second and ran up to the stage, it was quite obvious she was scared out of her mind. The girl kept wiping her eyes as the escort asked for her name and age. Her name was Jenifer Jareau and sixteen years old, probably related to the little kid who was really reaped. A round of applause roared in the crowd before the escort went over to the opposite ball. Before he could reach his hand in I yelled that I volunteered. I ran up the stage and smiled to the crowd.

"The name's Marco Kindler, I'm eighteen." I say before the escort had a chance to ask. I gave the cameras a smile and let the crowd cheer. This is going to be a piece of cake.

_**(A/N) Goodbyes are next~ SPONSOR QUESTION: WHAT YEAR DID DR. SUESS DIE?**_


	7. DIstrict Two Goodbyes

_**(A/N) Warning, the goodbyes might be short, but only to speed things up a tad. Thanks for all the reviews~**_

**District Two Goodbyes, Jennifer Jareau's POV**

Two peacekeepers escorted me to a tiny room in the town hall. The room was very small, almost claustrophobically so, and was depressingly dim. I collapsed onto the leather loveseat by the door and tried to fully stomach what I had done in the square. My heart almost dropped when Brianne walked into the cramped room. She only spoke one word, but her expression showed pure sadness.

"Why?" She asked and slumped down next to me on the couch.

"You know I couldn't have let Astor get killed. She's just a kid; she wouldn't have lasted a day in the arena." I grabbed Brianne by the waist and gave her a hug. "Listen, you know you're my best friend in the whole world…Just remember that when I'm gone. I can't lie to you and say I'll win, but you can bet your ass that I'm going to try," I whispered to her. We spent the rest of our minutes quietly sitting and hugging one another.

When she left, the peacekeepers ushered in my family. Surprisingly, I gave my stepfather a hug. "Hey, I know you've only been in the family for a year, but I love you. You've been like a father to me ever since my dad left…thanks." Christopher nodded and said he loved me like his own daughters and Jordan said he loved me like I was his sister. I told Ginny that I'm glad I got to know her and hugged Lily, saying that I'll see her soon. Matthew threw his arms around me and told me how proud he was. "I love you Matt, thanks for always being the best bro ever and all…you were always there for me…" I said.

"Yeah, I love you, too, little sis. Even if you are the most annoying thing in the world." He said and faked a smile. I laughed and joked,

"I learned it from you!" I walked over to Astor and put my hands on her shoulder. "Listen to me, I will win for you." I dried her tears with my shirt and kissed her on the forehead. I wanted to tell her how much I would miss her and not to cry when I die, but I didn't want to worry her. She nodded and hugged me back. I looked at everyone in the room and said, "You have more important things to worry about than me…I'll miss you all so much." They began to cry, but I assured them that I was good and would win for them. Peacekeepers came to escort them out, and Astor handed me a little locket.

"Open it." I did and she smiled up at me. "See? It's some pictures of your friends and family…it'll be your token. Take it so you don't forget us…" I told them all I loved them before they left. I put the locket around my neck and fiddled with the charm. _I'll never forget you…_

**Goodbyes, Marco Kindler's POV**

I've been here for about ten minutes now, and the only person who showed up was my mother. I knew those dogs weren't really my friends, but didn't they at least have the courtesy to congratulate me? I figured Maria would come to see me at the very least! Well, whatever…they'll change their attitudes when I come home a victor.

**SPONSOR QUESTION: WHATS THE MAIN LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN AFRICA?**


	8. District Three Reapings, pt 1

**(A/N) Surprisingly, this chapter does have a reference; 5pnts to whoever catches it!**

**District Three Reapings, ElectRose Vanik POV**

"Good morning, cutie!" I sang as I lifted my baby sister, EnerTwil, from her bed and placed her on my hip. I smiled as she twisted her little fingers through my brown hair and her eyes fluttered as she tried to stay awake. She was so cute with her deep brown hair in sloppy pigtails and eyes that matched our fathers gazing up at me.

"Mornin' Wose…can I go back to sweep?" I giggled at how her infant speech made her slur and gave her a little smile.

"No can do, sugar cube. Today's going to be real frightening for me, and I'm gonna need you there to protect me in case I get scared!" I said and mussed with her hair. I knew she couldn't yet comprehend the horror of the reapings, and I prayed everyday that she would never have to. Twil giggled and nodded,

"Kay. Where's mamma?" She asked and shifted in my arms. I put her on her feet and took her hand. I'm sure our mom was still asleep, which was good for me since Vye would be stopping by any second. And of course daddy was sleeping in on his one day off.

"I don't know kiddo. Why don't you go wash up and I'll go wake her up." She nodded and stumbled to our rundown bathroom. Our house wasn't that nice, but I'd been doing some electrical work with the wires, so at least we have decent plumbing and electricity. Plus, dad worked over at the power plant, which got us some extra power rations each month.

I walked to the old oak closet in the corner of my room and set out my outfit for the reaping. I thought about matching it with what Vye would be wearing, but I didn't want to make our relationship too obvious. I was terrified of being disowned by my family for loving another woman. Finally, I decided to go with a powder blue engineering jumpsuit that I had stitched my name on with wires. I tucked the bottoms of the pants legs into some heeled boots and unzipped the top a bit; nothing too showy, but it made its point. I picked out a little blue dress for Twil and headed into the living room.

Three sharp knocks filled the room, Vye was here. Quietly, I slid out the back door, closing it tight behind me, and smiled at her.

"Are your parents still asleep?" She asked, I nodded and intertwined my small fingers with her red hair.

"I don't get a 'good morning' or hello?" I teased and gazed down at her. She laughed and lifted her mouth to mine, almost pushing her thick-rimmed glasses right off her face.

"Satisfied?" She smiled and stepped away.

"Mhm…almost!" I said and brought her back to me. I finally parted with her and took her by the hand. "Are you ready for today?"

"No, but I guess I'll have to go anyway…" Vye sighed.

"Well, don't worry about it cutie. The odds of you getting pulled are pretty slim."

"I'm not worried about me; I don't want you to get pulled…" She shyly looked away and I stroked her hand. I assured her that nothing would happen and that even if it did, it would all work out.

"Let's head out, I don't want to keep Energess waiting." I laughed and ran back inside to get Twil, I carried her on my hip to the square and we got checked in. I had to explain to Twil about why the mean ol' peacekeepers had to prick her hand and calm her down when she tried to scream. We met up with Energess at the stage.

"Hey shorties! What's up?" She asked and slapped us on the back. I blushed out of anger and looked away. I couldn't stand when people made fun of how short I was. Vye whispered in my ear,

"You're cute when you blush." Which made me smile, but didn't help at all.

"I'm not short! I'm vertically challenged." I joked as a female escort walked up to the stage. She gave us a overly white smile and shifted in her way too tight dress before addressing the crowd.

"Welcome, welcome ladies and gentlemen! I know you're all so very excited to get to the fun, but I have a little clip to show!" She rolled a clip show involving the violent rebellion, it was so sad that even I had to advert my eyes at points so I didn't cry. At the end of the film, the escort directed her attention to the crowd again. "As always, ladies go first!" She sung and stuck her hand in the ball. "Vye Trose to the stage!" My jaw dropped and I dropped Twil. I ran to the stage, screaming that I volunteer.

"What, no! Get off the stage, ElectRose! Please!" Vye shouted to me, but I pretended not to hear and I wiped the tears from my face, but they kept coming. Vye wouldn't stand a chance out in the arena, I couldn't let her die.

"Oh, my. Well this is unexpected…please dearie, take a moment to calm down." The escort smiled at me and handed me her handkerchief. I refused and told her I was fine. "Hmm…please, tell us your name." I heard Vye scream in the background as she tried to fight her way to the stage, peacekeepers came to restrain her.

"M-my name's ElectRose Vanik, I'm fifteen…" I said into the microphone.

"So very pleased to meet you ElectRose, why don't you go sit down for a bit?" She gestured to an area behind the stage and I ran to gather myself. "This is so exciting!" I heard her say before I left. I didn't hear the name that was called for the boys through my crying, but I knew I'd be dead before it would matter.

SPONSOR QUESTION: WHO'S THE MAIN CHARACTER IN CHARLES DICKENS "GREAT EXPECTATIONS"?


	9. District Three Goodbyes

_**(A/N) I am so very**____**sorry for the writer of Luca Night, I just couldn't figure out what to write for him… But I swear that I will make your other character worth your wild :c! Remember, reviews make the world go round and my fingers type faster. Many thanks to my beta reader and everyone who's answering the sponsor questions! I still have spots open, and I figured I'd submit my own OC's (probably bloodbaths…) if I don't get some more in, so no worries there… **_

**District Three Goodbyes, ElectRose Vanik's POV**

I paced around in the little room. This was probably my last chance to see my family and Vye again…I had no idea how I was going to explain myself to my family. My behavior at the reaping today must have been humiliating to them… The peacekeepers escorted them in first. I looked at Twil as she began to cry uncontrollably. My mother tried to calm her down but she continued to scream.

"Sugar cube, please don't cry! You know I love you so much baby girl. Don't you trust your big sis to win for you?" I asked and tried to choke back the tears I was forming. I wanted to kick and scream, maybe even punch a few walls, but I still tried to soothe her and kissed her on the forehead. I had to remember that I was a sister first and a crybaby second. Twil had no idea what was going on, but she knew it was a terrible and horrible thing.

My mother hugged me; I could tell she wanted to cry, but she stayed strong. She always was tough. "Listen to me. You need to stay strong, try to win. I know you don't think you can, but you have to. You get in there and you make some strong friends and you win. Do you hear me?" I nodded and told how much I loved her. I doubt I'll make it, but I have to try… My father shifted on his feet as he watched us hug. He didn't want to be here, I could tell. He loved me, but he had to think of what was best for the family.

"Good luck…" He said as the peacekeepers showed them out the door. Vye and Energess came in last.

"What the hell is wrong with you, huh? You shouldn't have volunteered. I could've been up there, and I don't think I could see you die…" Vye shocked me with her reaction, but I guess I understood. But she doesn't understand what she means to me, it would've killed me anyways if she died. I just love her so much…

"You know I couldn't have done that, Vye. If I didn't go up there, no one else would've. You would die in the games, I might have a chance." I said, looking away. I didn't mean it to come out harsh, but sometimes that's what it takes.

"Look, I don't care about what could've happened, shorty. You've gotta get in there and do your best. Get in an alliance with some of the others… If you have to, stab them in the back when they're turned, but get out of there alive." Energess chimed in, throwing her arms around me. When the peacekeepers came back, Vye turned as she left. She reached up on her toes and kissed my cheek.

"Here…take my bracelet. It'll be your good luck charm… Please, stay safe cutie." She said and slipped the bracelet over my hand. It was made of wires and had Vye's name in blue lettering etched on it. I kissed her back and watched as she walked out the door. I wanted to tell her I loved her, but there were too many untrustworthy ears to hear it.

**District Three Goodbye's, Luca Night's POV**

My parents screamed all kinds of bullshit at me before I finally got to tell my brother goodbye. I told him how much I loved him, and that he's the only thing that makes me want to come home at night. Next, Winston came in.

"Hey, man. This is some heavy stuff…" He said and shook his head.

"Well any suggestions would be just fucking fantastic!" I said and rolled my eyes.

"Alright, look. You need to isolate yourself from the pack. Man, you know how careers are. Don't fall for their bullshit. And don't get attached to anyone, not even the cute chick that volunteered today. You gotta do this by yourself, man. Any 'friendships' you make, won't last…" He said and slapped me hard on the back. I nodded, ignoring him, but getting the point. He walked out before the peacekeepers could come back for him.

_**(A/N) I'm so, so sorry for skipping the other reaping. I just couldn't figure out what to do, I can't promise it won't happen again, but only for the reapings… Please don't be too mad! :c **_

_**SPONSOR QUESTION: WHAT'S ARE THE NAMES OF THE TWO MAIN FEMALES IN 'A MID SUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM'? HINT: THEY BOTH START WITH 'H'. **_


	10. District Four Reapings, pt 1

_**(A/N) Yes, it's another chapter of my SYOC~ There are still positions open c;. Thank you to my beta reader of doom, and SmallTownGirl2014 for an awesome tribute c;. Find the cameo- 5pnts.**_

**District Four Reapings, Coral Moor's POV**

I felt the salty waves come in; felt them crash against my skin. I smiled as my toes sunk into the water and the deck lightly swayed with the tide. It was still dawn as the sun tried to poke out above the water and the fish bit at my line. The fishing rod jerked in my hands and alerted me to the task at hand. I pulled the hook out of the water and examined the tiny bonefish. Compared to what my dad caught on one of his normal trips, it was definitely a poor catch. By law, I had to sell the fish, but it would only get me a few coins at the most. I placed the petty fish into the cooler and pulled myself up onto the pier. A hand touched the scar on my shoulder.

"Morning, princess." I heard Liam behind me and turned around. I quickly grabbed his hand before he could move away.

"Whoa, slow down lover boy. Mind telling me what you're doing here? You know you'll get beat if they find you on this side of town, and isn't Misty's soup kitchen open by now?" He shrugged and smoothed a finger over my hand before letting go of it.

"She let me take the day off, for the reapings and all. I'll just go if you're not happy to see me." He pretended to frown and began to walk away. I laughed and went after him, linking my arm with his.

"Oh don't be such a drama queen; you know I'm always happy to see you. Just let me stop by the house to put this in the freezer and we'll head to the square." I smiled at him and gestured to the cooler.

"Yeah, I know. Did you catch anything good?" He asked as we walked to my little cabin.

"No, just a bonefish; I figure I'll just sell it at the market." He nodded and stopped as we got to the house. "Wait outside; I'll only be a minute." I untangled my arm from his and stepped inside. The smell of whiskey and wine hit my nose as I maneuvered through row after row of empty bottles and stains. My father must have just left for his ship, he always drinks this much when he leaves. He got so drunk sometimes that he would whip me on the back and leave bruises; that's how I got my scar.

I tiptoed to the freezer, placed the fish it, and left for my room. It was the only room in the house that didn't smell like booze and fish guts. I threw on a little sea green dress that matched my eyes and put on my mother's trident necklace. I ran my finger over the little charm and thought about mom, it was the only piece of her I had. I put my brown hair into a fishtail braid that reached my waist and left through the door. Liam linked his arm with mine again and we walked to the square.

I checked in with the peacekeepers and positioned myself by the stage, a large man with orange skin and red hair took the stage and smiled down at us.

"Good morning everybody, and welcome to the Hunger Games! Before we get this show on the road, I have a heart wrenching film for you all to watch. Roll the tape!" Our escort directed our attention to the film that nobody would watch. After it was over, he walked over to the female reaping ball. "Now that we've got that bit of unpleasantness out of the way, ladies first! He reached his hand into the ball and pulled out a slip of paper. "My, such a pretty name, can I have Coral Moor to the stage?" This can't be right. My name is only in there five times, how could I be picked? There has to be some kind of mistake, maybe the man read the slip wrong… No, no this is it..

I tilted my chin up and held my head high. I wouldn't give them the pleasure of seeing me cry. I walked up to the stage and took my place.

"Can we have a round of applause for this little lady? Good, now to the boys." He took out a slip and smiled. "Welcome Alcide Mist to the stage!" A handsome boy with thick, brown hair and big blue eyes walked up to the stage, he looked distant and simple. Maybe he wasn't even a threat…

_**(A/N) I'm sorry it's short, but I figured you guys are ready for the reapings to end. Don't worry, though, I'm still going to get most of the reapings in c;**_

_**SPONSOR QUESTION: WHO PLAYS QUI-GON JINN IN STARWARS?  
**_


	11. District Four Reapings, pt 2

_**(A/N) More reapings~ At this rate, I might be able to finish them before Christmas :D, heh. Again, don't get mad if the reapings and goodbyes are short, it'll be worth your while when the games start. I might not do blood bath reapings as their own chapter, I'll just put their reaction to the volunteering/Reaping. Hope you enjoy this next chapter~. SPONSOR QUESTION: WHO WAS THE LEAD ACTOR IN 'THE LAST MAN ON EARTH' (The first adaptation). Many thanks to those few reviewers and my beta-reader.**_

**District 4 Reapings, Alcide Mist's POV**

The morning sun crept over the ocean as I floated along the salty waves. I glanced around me to make sure I was alone and stared up at the clouds. I watched as they formed shapes in the sky, thinking about how I wouldn't be caught dead doing something like this. Truth be told, I really enjoyed the little things like this; but if anyone found out, I'd be ruined.

I swam back to the sandy shore and made my way back on land. The beach was quiet today, and when I looked around, there was only one girl in sight. She sat on the pier and waved her feet through water, fishing with a little wooden rod. It felt a bit weird to stare at her when it was usually I who girls stared at. I couldn't help but think about how pretty she was, with long hair the color of mahogany and sea green eyes that stared down at the waves. I'm sure she went to my school; I remember her name being something like Coral or maybe Carrie. I hope I'd get a girl that pretty one day, but beauty is nothing compared to a nice personality.

I began to walk towards her, maybe to introduce myself, maybe to get a better look. Something shining in the sand caught my eye. I bent over and pushed the grains away from the object and plucked it from the ground. It was a little golden ring. I ran my finger over the band and noticed that it had begun to rust. It fit over my finger, I decided to keep it. I looked up at the girl on the pier and frowned as she walked away with a boy. It's not like I could've gotten her anyways, no one wants an arrogant hard ass like my friends say I am anyways. I just hope that reputation isn't really accurate.

Before I headed to the square, I stopped by the little fisherman's shack to change into some real cloths. When I left the house this morning, I had packed a button up white shirt and some dress pants to wear to the reaping. I'm sure I would've looked very handsome had my hair not been dripping wet and tousled with salt water.

I would've stopped by the house before I walked to the square, but I knew my dad would already be on his boat and my mother isn't much for conversation. Ever since my sister died, we've both been pretty angry with the world. People just didn't realize how horrible it is to see your newborn baby sister strangled to death by her own umbilical cord. I've learned to forgive and forget, but my mother hasn't spoken more than twenty words since then.

I walked down to the worse part of the district and flipped a few coins to a beggar on the street. Poor guy must have it real tough out here all alone. The square was packed when I got to it, but I found my group pretty easily. My eyes met Tanners and I gave a little smirk. Like usual, he was surrounded by rude girls from our school, each trying to get their fill of him. They stepped aside when they saw me coming, but still awed over us both. We shook hands and bumped our shoulders together; I gave him a brotherly hug and patted his back.

"Hey, man. How's it going?" He said and smiled at me. I nodded and simply said,

"Good." All the girls dug the broody thing I had going on, and it helped keep up appearances with the pack. All the other guys in my group paid their respects by nodding in my direction.

"Out of my way, I need to get checked in." I said and pushed the guys out of the way. I didn't enjoy being rude, but it's the only way to make them know I'm cool. We got checked in and stood in the back of the crowd. We all acted like we were too cool to be here, making jokes about the poor suckers that were chosen to fight in the arena. Our escort was barely audible above all the talk going on back here. The man looked nice enough, with a big smile and kind eyes. He rolled a little film that almost made me cry, but I choked back the tears to keep up appearances.

"Now that we have that bit of unpleasantness out of the way, ladies first!" I struggled to listen. He reached into the bowl and pulled out the paper.

"My, such a pretty name, may I have Coral Tae Moor to the stage?" He asked. I was shocked to the girl from the dock climbing her way to the stage. She held her head up, but I could see the tears in her eyes.

"Can we have a round of applause for this little lady? Good, now for the boys." I waited in anticipation as he pulled out a slip. I felt my heart pounding in my chest, and felt bad for wishing someone else would get picked.

"Welcome Alcide Mist to the stage." I must be hearing him wrong, but no one else went to the stage. I cleared my face of emotion and thought about the ocean as I walked up to the stage. I looked distant and calm even though my stomach was twisting. I walked up to the stage and shook Coral's hand.


	12. District Four Goodbyes

_**(A/N) Short goodbyes and stuff**_

**District Four Goodbyes, Coral Moor's POV**

I stumble into a little room as two peacekeepers release my arms. I stand in the corner and close the door. Of course my father is nowhere to be found. He's never been one for emotional support, but I at least expected him to wish me good luck. The man might beat me and drink until he passes out, but he's still my dad. I dab at the little tears that fell down my cheek. '_No. Coral you're a grown woman, stop this…'_I think and straightened my back. The door of the room opened and Liam walked in with his mom.

"Misty! I'm so glad you came." I say and hugged the small woman.

"You know I couldn't have let you go without saying goodbye." She patted my back and smiled.

"Yeah…well this is goodbye. Just so you know, I've always thought of you like you were my mom. You've always been there for me. Thanks." I try to hold back the rest of the tears I had coming.

"And you've been like a daughter. When you come back, we'll all have to throw you nice little party." She winked and hugged me once more. She walked out of the room and nudged Liam towards me.

"Hey princess." He said and put his hand on my cheek. He ran his thumb over one of the little tears that escaped, wiping it away. I knew he could see past the wall I had put up. I figured this would be the last chance I'd get to see him and stood up on my toes. I put my lips against his and tangled my hands with his hair; he didn't fight it until the peacekeepers came back into the room. We parted and he gave me a hug before walking away.

**District Four Goodbyes, Alcide Mist's POV**

The peacekeepers roughly threw me into the waiting room and walked out. Honestly, I wish they had stayed. The quietness in the room only egged my breakdown on. I knew none of the pack would come to see me, but Tanner didn't know about my soft side yet. I figured that little ring on my finger would be my token.

My mother and father walked into the room. My dad looked sullen, which was unlike him. He usually was a lively man who gave me enough love for the both of them. My mother put her hands on mine and looked me in the eye. She spoke her first real sentence in months.

"Baby, I know I haven't been there for you. But I love you so much, please be careful. Stay true to yourself; don't pretend anymore." I rested my head on her shoulder and said,

"Mom…I love you too." She let go and my father stepped up.

"I love you son. Listen to your mother, there's no one to impress out there. Be yourself, and they'll love you." I told him I loved and he patted me on the back. They left and Tanner walked in. He threw his arms around me in another brotherly hug.

"Hey man…I've got something I need to tell you-" I began but he stopped me.

"Bro, look. I know you've been faking the big bad wolf routine for years. I'm your best friend, don't you think I would realized it by now? You shouldn't have cared about what those ass holes thought of you, you're the best fake brother a guy could get." I laughed and hugged him back.

"Well…that's a relief, I guess. It's been awesome knowing you, bro." I say as the peacekeepers take him out.

_**(A/N) Ah, bad goodbyes are bad. **_


	13. District Five Reapings, pt 1

_**(Ello~ so we are almost halfway done with the reapings! Yay! Will the creator of **__**ENRIX ZAK DOLLIN**__** please send me a message on the same message list as they sent his forum in? I think I might have lost it since I can't find it anywhere in my inbox . and I don't want to have to skip him :c. Many thanks to my beta reader and reviewers~) **_

**District Five Reapings, Amara Moore's POV**

I waved my pencil against the rough paper of my journal, weaving soft little lines into a clear drawing. My feelings poured into my sketches because they couldn't escape my mouth; I found it hard to express myself through anything but sketching. This little masterpiece would be about the girls at the old orphanage; how they teased and laughed at me. A knock on my bedroom door deterred me from my sketchbook. I quickly rearranged myself in the bed, making it look like I had been asleep all night instead of sketching.

"Honey, it's time to get up." I heard Cleo, my adoptive mother, kindly whisper as she turned the knob. She was so nice; it was hard to believe she spent her days as a peacekeeper, tearing apart fights and taming the crowds. I pretended to groggily rub my eyes and sat up in bed.

"Good morning." I said and smiled at her. She sat on the corner of my bed and smiled back.

"Morning, I'll leave you to get ready. Remember, we'll need to leave for the square a bit early; Jordy and I need to do a quick patrol around the stage. I don't want to rush you, but you've got ten minutes." I nodded. She got up and smiled before leaving.

I got out of bed and stretched, I'm sure I had some circles under my eyes from a lack of sleep, but what's done is done. I grabbed a brush and ran it through my black hair, parting it to the right. Before pulling on my little black shirt and silk top, I took a quick bath to revitalize myself. I put my little black flats, the ones with the bows, and clipped a bow to my shirt. I ran down stairs and walked out the door to where Cleo was waiting. She wore her usual uniform with her blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun. Her blue eyes met mine and she smiled.

"You look beautiful, hon! Trying to impress Jordy again, huh?" She joked and nudged my shoulder. I blushed and looked down at my feet.

"Don't tease me! He's like a brother to me…" I said and continued to walk. She laughed and followed behind me.

We arrived at the square in perfect time and met Jordy at the gate. He hugged me and looked at me through the caramel hair that hung over his eyes.

"Well, well. Good morning, Bella. I see Cleo brought you here early. Good, maybe you can do my job so I can go back home and sleep for another hour." He joked and smiled. He always calls me Bella, short for my middle name Isabella. I hugged him back and smiled up at him. I never really talked much, but he understood me. Ever since Cleo started bringing me to work with her, Jordy had taken a liking to me. We'd become such good friends that I began to trust him like a brother.

I waited behind the stage as the crowd began to pour in. Since I was with the keepers, I got to meet our escort. She was a short woman named Nadine with cotton candy blue hair and a warm smile that almost covered her whole face. I liked her, she was nice to me.

"Alright, sweetheart, I think you should go on out and get settled. It's almost show time!." Nadine smiled and escorted me to the lot.

"Break a leg!" I said and laughed. Judging by the fact that she didn't give me her famous smile, she thought I meant it literally. I checked in with Cleo and got my spot near stage. Nadine walked out and tapped the microphone.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen! And welcome, welcome, welcome to the reapings! I hope you all find the morning enjoyable. Now, let me show you all a little film about the history of The Hunger Games! Please, would you be so kind to roll the clip?" She waved to the crowd and gestured to the projection screen. A sad little number about the war showed before she took her spot again.

"Well, now that that heartbreaking news is out of the way, let us get on with the show! Hmm, now which ball to pick…How about ladies first?" She rummaged through the ball and pulled out a slip of folded paper.

"Oh the anticipation is just killing me! Now let me welcome Miss-" The escort stopped and frowned at the little paper. "Why, this is that… N-Nevermind. Let me welcome Miss Amara Isabella Moore to the stage…" She sullenly found my face in the crowd and looked down at her heels. This can't be happening. She read the name wrong… My eyes widened with shock and I played it over in my head. _No, Amara. What's done is done, if this is my destiny, I will fulfill it. There's no turning back now. _I thought and straightened my back. I walked to the stage like nothing had happened and shook hands with my escort. She walked over to the boys ball and pulled out his slip.


	14. District Six Reapings

_**(A/N) Well, my laziness is getting quite obvious. Once I'm done with the reapings, it'll be MUCH better! So I'm not doing a reaping for Enrix, but he's not a bloodbath. He's going to have a teeny tiny part c:. Districts 10 and 11 males are still M.I.A, but I'll just randomize them if no one wants to claim. 10 and 11 males are also open. None of the characters I submit will win, but they might make it past the blood bath. Sorry for my inexcusable laziness and many thanks to my beta reader and general readers. **_

_**SPONSOR QUESTION: DO POWDERED DOUGHNUTS MAKE YOU GO NUTS? (Heh, that's got to be an easy question.) **_

**District Six Reapings, Melinda Snow's POV **

I pounded my hammer against the metal on the bench before me. The heat from the welding fires zapped my energy and slowed my every swing. I wiped the sweat from the cheeks and swept my auburn bangs back into my messy bun. Sparks from the fire spat out at me and almost grazed my skin as I decided to call it a day. I loved my work, but it can be rather dangerous.

I hung my welders' apron on one of the employee racks and walked towards the factory door. I had come in extra early to get my hours in so I could work in peace and still go to the reapings. Even at five in the morning the factory was occupied, and it proved to be quite annoying when some of the younger workers caught my eye. I hated the attention I got, but my looks prompted many of the districts boys to gawk at me. Apparently even when I'm drenched in sweat and grease, I'm still attractive. I glared at the group with my lavender eyes and made it obvious their attention was unwelcome before walking out the door.

The sun rose over the hills as I approached my house. My mother stared at me as I entered our clean home, her mouth agape.

"What?" I asked as she stood up in the living room.

"How can you be so untidy? You'll get grease all over the fabric! And to think I just cleaned." She frowned and walked over to me. I loved my mother, but all the years she lived in the Capitol hadn't worn off just yet, and she 'simply despised' it when I came home unclean from the filth of the factory. You could still hear the Capitol drawl in her high voice as she fussed.

"Well, someone has to work in this house." I joked and smiled. My mom had enough money from my grandfather, President Snow, when she came to the district to last a life time. I still enjoyed the grime of the job, though.

"Oh, how can you be so insensitive? Now go, please do get washed up before you come back down stairs!" She put a hesitant finger on my shoulder and ushered me to the stairs.

"Okay, mom. Don't have a heart attack." I smiled and walked to my room. I filled the tub basin in my room full of water my mother had boiled and stripped down. I settled into the water and watched the greases and sweats on my body pour into the water, making it oily. I scrubbed the dead skin and grime from myself and dipped my long hair into the water. When I got out of the tub, I spritzed a bit of lavender perfume on the outfit I had picked. The clothing was simple, a black t-shirt and skirt with a pair of leggings, but it was a step up from my worker duds.

I walked down stairs after slipping on a pair of flats and sat down on the couch. I waited patiently for my mom to graze down the stairs. Of course, as in her nature, she over dressed for the occasion. She had squeezed herself into a strapless evening dress that spilled onto the floor. I rolled my eyes and stood up.

"Overdo it much?" I asked and we walked out the door.

"You can never be too pretty, my dear." She said and smiled. She was very pretty. My father must've been a good man to get someone as beautiful as her. We began to walk to the square and laughed as she freaked out when the slightest bit of dirt touched her dress.

"Oh of all the things, this is the worst possible one!" She said and lifted up her dress so it wouldn't get too dirty.

"Drama queen." I sighed as we approached the lot.

"Hmm…you go get checked in. And I'll occupy myself with those lovely gentlemen over there!" She rang and gestured to a group of male peacekeepers who had been staring at us as we walked in. She put on a cute smile and walked away as I went to one of the little check in booths. After checking in, I walked to the corner of the square and settled in with my friend, Jesse.

Our escort was a slender Capitol woman with crimson hair and golden-contact eyes. Unlike most of the escorts we get, she was a pretty thing with raven feathers tattooed to her body and little diamond talons on her fingers. She looked bored and annoyed as she looked down at us. The crowd refused to let her talk and wouldn't quiet down.

"Ehem….EHEM." She said into the microphone as she nodded at the peacekeepers, each cocked their gun and pointed it at the crowd. They finally decided to hush and she gave us a little smile.

"Well, then, now that we've got that little ordeal sorted out, we can begin. I trust there will be no more interruptions? Good. Now, you must be wondering what such a beautiful woman like myself is doing in front of you rather than a normal escort. And to that, I say please direct your attention to the projection screen." She placed a taloned hand on her chest and gestured to the screen. The crowd obeyed and stared up. A film clip rolled and a young man with a handsome smile popped up on the screen.

"Good morning my lovely little friends and a most sincere welcome to your district's reaping! You may be wondering who I am, and I forgive your ignorance. I am honored to introduce myself as the one and only Theo Cyrillus! I am your humble gamemaker for this year's Hunger Games. Isn't this such a treat?" He smiled and clapped his hands together.

"Now, down to business. You all know how the typical, boring reaping goes. Names are called, yadda, yadda. This year, I figured I would do this differently. I have automatically selected the female from your district to go fight in the games. And this lucky young lady will be quite interesting to pick. The granddaughter of our great president, Melinda Snow! You're so very welcome!" The screen went black and his wicked smile burned into my mind.

I felt myself began to hyperventilate as I freaked out. Jesse and my mother yell out my name as a peacekeeper puts a gun to my back and pushes me towards the stage. I noticed a man that shares my eyes and hair crying as I'm pushed. I stumble up the steps, wide eyed and terrified. The woman gives a dry laugh and walks over to the only reaping ball on stage.

"John Doe to the stage." She says and watches as a scrawny boy walks up. She smirked and stepped off the stage. A helicopter roars to life and she is escorted back to the Capitol. I shook in my place and collapsed onto the ground.


	15. District Five and Six Goodbyes

_**(A/N) Short goodbyes are short ._. I Just realized I forgot D5's goodbyes…I'll include her here. SPONSOR QUESTION: WHO ARE THE THREE ALIECORNS IN MLP: FiM (Hint: Aliecorns control day, night, ect.) **_

**District Five's Goodbye's, Amara Moore's POV**

I sit on the little couch in the goodbye room and wait for Cleo to come in. She'd be the first to show up; the other peacekeepers would make sure of that. A knock on the door alerted me to her arrival. Without saying a word, Cleo comes in and hugs me. We didn't talk or move for minutes. The Peacekeepers must be giving her some extra time. She cleared her throat and we parted.

"You know, even though you're not my real daughter, I've always loved you. Ever since I adopted you, I've loved you so much…I'm so sorry this happened to you. I know you have what it takes to win, sweetie. Please, take this." She held out her hand and handed me a little silver chain with a heart-shaped charm on it. The letter K was engraved in the silver.

"This is beautiful, Cleo. Where'd you get this?" I asked and fastened the necklace to my neck.

"It was my mothers. She gave it to me the day she died, she wanted me to give it to my daughter." She said and smiled.

"Thank you so much. I love you, mom." I said and gave her another hug.

"I love you too, sweetie." She almost began to cry as she was escorted out of the room. I held the little charm in my hand and thought about my mother as Jordy and Scarlet came in. Jordy stood awkwardly as Scarlet ran into my arms, crying. I realized that this is the first time I've ever seen her cry.

"Promise me you'll win! You have to promise me." She says and cries into my hair.

"I-I promise you…" I say shakily, not very sure if I can keep that promise. She doesn't let go when Jordy walks up.

"Hey, kid… I just wanted to say that I'm glad I got to know you. Ah, hell. You'll be coming back to us, what am I saying? Just listen, you're the only thing you need to care about out there. Don't fall for the careers bullshit or any other tribute. You gotta look out for numero uno." He said and gave a sad smile. I nodded and the two were escorted out. Scarlet tried to take me with her, clinging to my hair, and the peacekeepers were forced to sedate her. I frowned and thought about how this would be the last time I'll ever see them.

**District Six Goodbyes, Melinda Snow's POV**

The peacekeepers kept a gun to my back as the pushed me into a little room. They positioned themselves opposite of me and kept their guns locked on me. They were probably expecting me to fight back, but I knew better. My mother was pushed into the room and sat on the little loveseat with me.

"Oh darling, how terrible this all is! But don't fret my love; you know I'll be in the Capitol watching out for you. While I'm visiting the Capitol for the games, I'll see if they can't arrange a little meeting between you and me before the games start. Oh, and that reminds me. Here, I want you to have this." She slipped a little ring in the shape of a rose off her finger. She grabbed my hand and slipped in on my ring finger.

"It's a family heirloom. It was passed down to me by my mother… I feel like this is the right time to give it to you. It looks stunning on your hand, dear." She smiled and gave me a hug. I looked down at the ring and almost started to cry.

"Thank you so much, mom…I hope I'll get to see you before, you know…" I trailed off and laid my head on her shoulder.

"Oh it's not a problem, dear. And don't you worry about that…I have ways to persuade the guards to look the other way." I smiled and she was escorted off.

Jordy came in last, a frown on his face.

"Hey… The peacekeepers said I don't have much time, and I just wanted to tell you something. Thank you so much for being a good friend…Win for all of us, okay?" He looked down at his feet and I got up. I gave him a hug.

"I'll miss you." I said and stepped away. He nodded and was escorted out of the room.


	16. District Seven Reapings

_**(A/N) Again, I'm not doing the reapings and goodbyes for bloodbath characters. They will be introduced in the train rides. They will get interviews, training, ect. Just not the reapings. Sorry again for my laziness. SPONSOR QUESTION: FILL IN THE LYRICS- GOT A _, CAN YOU KEEP IT? SWEAR THIS ONE YOU'LL _. BETTER _ IT IN YOUR POCKET, TAKING THIS ONE TO THE _. IF I SHOW YOU, THEN I KNOW YOU WONT _ WHAT I _. CAUSE TWO CAN KEEP A _ IF ONE OF THEM IS _(HINT: It's from a song by the Pierces.) Sorry for the long SQ, but I had to :D This one will be worth an extra 5 pnts.**_

**District Seven Reapings, Key Jagger's POV**

_I could feel her run through me and into the woods. The dark of the arena shielded the boy that snuck in on her. She stopped when she drew closer to the lake, unaware that she was being stalked. I screamed at her, telling her to keep running, but she couldn't hear me. The unbearable silence was broken as her shriek pierced the night. The boy had caught her. I tried to push him away, tried to change her fate, but he ignored my prying fingers. He held her by her matted hair, now caked with her own blood, and dragged her to the water. Her fingers dug into the ground, trying to keep them both still; but he overpowered her. I watched while she flailed as he held her head under the water. Her lungs sucked in the cool lake water and collapsed on themselves. With one last kick, my sister had been murdered._

The thunderous sound of an oak falling behind our house shook me from my nightmare. I thanked the lumberjacks for saving me any more pain. The nightmare was always the same, ending in my sister being drowned in the lake, and always occurred the night before the reapings. The day they decided to take Ribbon away to be pitted against other kids like they were just animals.

I got out of bed, still shivering from the dream. I didn't want anyone to realize I had been scared, though, so I manned up and put on a happy face.

"Good morning!" I holler, realizing that my unneeded loudness probably woke the whole house up, but they love me anyways, right? Medallion and Locket stirred from their cots and walked over to me; sleepy eyed and with outstretched arms. I gave each a hug and threw them both on one of my hips.

"All aboard the Key Express! To the kitchen!" I say and pretend to be a train; this always seemed to amuse the kiddies. They smiled and laughed as I drove them through the house and into the kitchen. I set them down in the kitchen and sat at our little table.

"So, kiddo, what are you making me for breakfast?" I ask, joking.

"But that's your job!" They giggle.

"I know, I know, I was just teasing you." I say and walk over to our ice box. I pull out three little apples, a delicacy for the reapings, and give each their own.

"Remember, this is a special treat. So save some for later, put what you don't eat back in the box." I smile and ate half of my apple. After breakfast, mom and dad get the little ones ready. I pour my ration of hot water, also a delicacy, into a basin and soak a bit before getting ready. I hated water after seeing my sister killed with it, but it is better than smelling like a corpse, no? I dip my short brown hair in the searing water and scrub the dirt from myself. I was actually pretty handsome when I wasn't covered in grime and tree sap. After drying off, I grab my outfit from the oak dresser and get ready. I chose a simple brown Tshirt, which showed the scar I got from climbing trees with Ribbon, and put a little maple leaf in my pants pocket for good luck. I actually heard in my Pre-panem history class that a very old district used the maple leaf as its symbol.

As dawn hit the trees, we left our little home and walked to the square. Lace and Rivvet, my mother and father, held the twins hands as we walked. I helped them get checked in and put them in the roped off children's section.

"Listen, there might be some scary stuff going on in a few minutes, but you have to stay quiet. Nothing will happen to me or you, alright? Just don't say a word." I tell them, making sure they knew the reapings were not to be interrupted. Many people had been shot in the past if they didn't comply. They nodded and I took my spot. An escort walked on the stage. She gestured to the screen before even introducing herself. The images on screen almost made me cry, but I kept a straight face. The escort went to the girls reaping ball and pulled out a name.

"Cayenne Bramle." The escort grumbled and walked over to the other ball. Clearly she didn't want to be here. A girl walked up to the stage, she had short red hair and wore a little white lace dress. She would've been pretty had she not been crying a bit.

"Key Spruce Jagger." I couldn't believe my ears and my name shot through them. I immediately felt terrified and almost ran to the gate, but I knew I'd be put up there anyways. I cleared my face of the shock and filled it with false bravado. I walked up to the stage and could hear the little gasps as the crowd got a look at my scar. I ignored them and shook hands with Cayenne. This wasn't going to be easy.


	17. District Eight Reapings, pt 1

_**(A/N) Sorry for the wait my dears, I was having a lazy moment. So, like I said before reapings will be short, ect. Many thanks to my betareader and faithful reviewers. SPONSOR QUESTION: HOW DO SPIDERS ATTACH TO WALLS? **_

**District 8 Reapings, Aphrodite Garcia's POV**

I slid my slender frame through the branches of a large oak outside my district. The leaves crunched underneath me as I fell back to the ground. Dirt caked my face and my blonde hair had gotten matted with twigs during the process, but I didn't care. Beauty means nothing to me. Wind licked at my face as I walked back to the fence and prodded for a safe area to squeeze under. I loved going out in the forest, but the fence proved to make it difficult.

I found my way back into the district and covered my face from the smog. Being out in all that fresh air makes coming back to the factories almost unbearable. I walked over to a little water basin and stared at my reflection. Twigs and grass stuck out in all directions in my hair; if the peacekeepers saw me like this, I'd be found out. I covered my tracks from the fence and began to pull the twigs and grass out of my long hair; the process took seemingly hours and dawn was creeping up, but I couldn't be arrested.

I walked back to my house in the center of the district, several peacekeepers made a point to stare but I glared them away. The front door creaked open as I stepped inside. I had to try to be quiet; Swan and my father didn't need to know I was sneaking out every night. I carefully stepped on the wooden floor boards, making sure I didn't step on any creaking ones, and moved over to the steps to my bedroom attic. I counted each step to my room and held my breath, praying they'd be quiet. One…Two…Thre- _creak. _My body tensed as the step made more and more noise as I bore down on it. Footsteps followed behind the wall as I shot up the stairs and closed the attic door silently. I ran to my bed and threw myself into it, slowing my breathing and closing my eyes as if I were asleep.

The door of my room opened and soft candlelight illuminated my room, caressing the walls and my face. I heard footsteps, too heavy to be Swan, walking towards me. The person set the candle holder on the table and grabbed the covers at my feet. They pulled them up around my shoulders and left the room, taking the candle and shutting the door.

I let out a small sigh of relief and settled in my bed. My sore limbs, bruised from climbing, sunk into the mattress and made me wince in delight. I hummed myself to sleep, wishing tomorrow wasn't the reaping.

I awoke three hours later to a bird singing at my window. I stepped out of bed and walked to the window, peering out at the land. It would've been a beautiful had there been no factory smog. I walked over to the little mirror on my dresser; my blue eyes peered back at me. Grime and dirt still caked on my face, but I wouldn't bother with grooming.

I walked downstairs and found Swan waiting for me in the kitchen.

"Good Morning, Aphrodite." She said and smiled up at me, I liked the woman well enough, but I wish I had known my real mother.

"Morning." I said and sat at the little table.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Fine."

"Oh, that's good… Hmm… well, did you by any chance come down stairs last night? I and your father heard creaking; we were a bit worried that it could've been a burglar." She sat beside me, holding out a cup of coffee. I took it from her and sipped at it.

"It's an old house, it'll make noise." I joked, beginning to be a bit worried that she had seen me. She nodded and looked down.

"Yes, I suppose… Well, it turned out to be fine. I had your father check on you, nothing seemed to be stolen. Oh, that reminds me. I have a gift for you." She left the room and came back with a dress. It was small and brown with long sleeves.

"I made it for you at my shop, it's for the reapings. I know you've never really had a nice dress, so I figured I would make one for you this year. Don't you like it?" She asked and gave me the puppy eyes.

"Oh, it's…nice." I said taking the fabric in my hands.

"You don't like it?" She looked heartbroken and began to take it back. I took it from her again and clutched it to my chest.

"No! I- I really like it. Thank you, Swan. I'll go put it on." I reluctantly said and smiled at her.

"Oh, good! I'm so glad." I nodded and backed up the steps to my room. I stripped down and looked at the fabric in my hands. Simple, plain…I guess it wasn't so bad. I pulled it over my long legs and settled it on my frame. It wasn't bad at all, it was about knee length with long sleeves. It was modest, just like me. I pulled on a pair of leather sandals and walked downstairs. I didn't bother with makeup or any grooming.

"How do I look?" I said, turning for Swan to see. This wasn't my cup of tea, but I'd do it to make her happy.

"You look so pretty…Are you ready?" I nodded and we waited for my dad. He walked in the room, wearing a tux and smiled at us.

"Good morning, sweetie." He said and hugged me. He kissed Swan on the cheek before taking her hand and leading us out of the house. I pulled the little gold locket he had gotten me out from my dress and put it around my neck. It was sort of my good luck token; it had a picture of me as a baby and my real mother and father. The other side had a picture of my best friend.

When we arrived at the square, my parents left for the roped off adults section and I checked in. It was a bit painful, getting pricked in the hand, but it had to be done. I would've loved nothing more to be in the woods right now, but what has to happen happens. I took a place by the stage and looked up at our escort.

"Good Morning Ladies and Gents!" He said, dragging out the 'Good' part.

"Please, direct your attention to the film!" He gestured to the screen as a film roll played. It was a sad little number about the war and ended with a message from the president. The escort clapped into the microphone, signaling the film was through.

"Now, now, settle down! Good, ladies first!" He sang and smiled down at us. He pulled out a little slip of paper and began to speak.

"Aphrodite Garcia, please come up." He said and eagerly awaited my arrival. I walk straight up to the platform, trying to stay calm and putting a brave face on.

"My, what a brave little girl. Now, for the boys!" My eyes almost watered over, but I held my ground and tried to stay calm. He pulled out another name.

"Alex Ridren, please come up!" He shouted and a boy looked up. A girl, older than me, clung to his arm and tried to hold him down.

"No!" She cried out as two peackeepers began to walk over.

"Goss, just let go. I'll be fine." He pulled himself off of her and walked up to the stage. The girl clutched a smaller girl in her arms as she her eyes grew wet. The boy was about six feet tall, with black hair and deep green eyes. He walked to me an shook my hand, glaring at me and walked to his spot.

_**(A/N) Yes, I know Alex is my own character, but don't worry. He won't win, but he won't be a bloodbath XD**_


	18. District Eight Reapings, pt 2

_**(A/N) Just so you know, I cannot reply to 'guest' reviews. Another thing, if you feel like I need to change my choice in language, this may not be the story for you. I'm not trying to be rude, but many people don't mind the language/ words I'm using, this is a T rated fiction for violence and language. It's not as if I'm using many curse words anyways. I really want to stress that I am in no way trying to be rude or uncooperative, but it is a story that has and will continue to have some 'bad' language. Granted it won't get much worse, it will still be present. If you have anything against the way I'm writing, then feel free to either ignore what you don't like or not read this story. If you can find enough people that have a problem with my cussing, then I will of course stop, but as of now it is only one anonymous reviewer. And also, there are no more spots open. Sorry, but each has been filled. Many thanks to my frequent reviewers and beta reader, Fluteorwrite. SPONSOR QUESTION: WHAT'S THE FIRST SENTENCE ON THE 45th PAGE OF 'THE HUNGER GAMES'?**_

**District 8 Reapings, Alex Ridren's POV**

I felt something wet hit my face in the darkness of my room, waking me from my deep sleep. I looked up at the roof and cursed under my breath, the damn ceiling is leaking again. _What the hell? Didn't Jamie fix that last week? _I ask myself, almost about tear the kid a new one as I shot out of bed. I quickly plopped back down on the cheap cloth mattress with my head throbbing, it was too early to be disciplining anyone, and I'd get him later.

Casually, I reached over to see who was sleeping in my bed that morning. _Draven…Of course it's Draven. It's always him. 'Who was I expecting? Goss? Naw, she's sleeping on the couch, always on the couch…' _I think, frowning. It's not like I didn't feel bad for making a girl sleep out on the couch, but she wasn't the one who had to work every day. I mean - if she asked - I'd sleep out there and she could have the bed. Why couldn't we just share? Oh right, because that'd be 'weird'. I softly laughed and got out of bed, not even bothering with getting dressed. I'd known Goss and Sweetie since they were kids, seeing me just in my boxers wasn't exactly a big deal anymore. They knew the risks when they came over last night, ha –again, not trying to sound like a pervert here-.

I opened up the soiled curtains in the bedroom, letting in the only light available to my house. My brother stirred in their sleep.

"Get up and get ready girls, it's your first reaping." I say and walk out to where the actual ladies were sleeping. I smiled when I heard the aggravated grunts of the kids as I left. It had been a bit of a tradition for me to wake the ladies up by messing up their hair –causing them to fly into a fit of cute, estrogen fueled rage- but today I had a nicer approach. Since I had figured my chances of getting reaped on the last year I could be were slim, I took in two bags of extra Tessarea. I'd also been saving up some fruit for a month now, just for a morning like this. I cooked the extra grains and waters up, making a oatmeal of sorts, and added in a few slices of fruit to each bowl. Breakfast in couch, ha.

Two bowls in hand, I walked to the little couch Goss had curled up with Sweetie on. I smiled as I saw the two sleeping –snoring louder than the sound of factory machines, but it was still cute-, Sweetie had intertwined her little fingers into Goss's hair and was snoring into the other girl's chest while Goss put a protective arm around the younger sister. I softly shook Sweetie awake and watched as the older sister immediately woke up with her.

"What? No messing with our hair or pouring cold water on our heads?" Sweetie mused as she sat up in her place. Gossamer laughed and hit her sister playfully on the head.

"What's this?" Gossamer asked as I handed her a bowl full of the mushy stuff I concocted.

"Breakfast in bed, I took out some tessarea this year so I could treat my brothers and stuff…" I said, sitting on the arm of the hard couch.

"Oh that's sweet of you, but you shouldn't have." She smiled and handed her filled bowl to me. I tried to refuse, but I eventually took it.

"I don't need it, really. You have to keep your strength up if you're going to keep hauling those sacks of flour!" She joked, laying her head on my arm. I pretended to feel offended as she rolled her eyes.

"Get a room, you two!" Sweetie snarled as she looked away. I laughed as Goss moved away, I knew any sign of affection I'd get with Sweetie around would be minimal. Poor kid, she's been trying to hide the fact she's liked me for years. I tried to explain to her that since I'm eighteen and she's only twelve, it would never work. I hopped off the couch and walked into the bedroom.

"Hey kids, make yourself presentable and come get some breakfast." They rolled their eyes and started to put on their tuxes. I figured it would be a good as time as any to get ready myself. I gave the girls some privacy and pulled on the only nice outfit I could ever afford.

I knocked on the door leading to the living room.

"Are you decent?" I shouted, resisting the urge to peek anyways.

"Yes, are you?" I head Sweetie snap. I laughed and opened the door. The boys piled on the couch and I took a glance at what was happening. Goss had gotten her medical kit out of her purse as the put a tourniquet on Sweeties arm. She sterilized a needle and used an alcohol swipe to sterilize Sweeties puncture site and removed the tourniquet.

"Hold still, honey. It's going to sting a bit" Goss said and focused on the test site. I watched as she slid the needle into her vein and connect a tube to the hub of the needle. This was a common thing for me to see, and I had grown accustomed to the procedure. Sweetie had a blood disease that had Gossamer constantly checking her blood, it was estimated that the poor girl only had another five years at best and they'd been trying their hardest to find a cure.

She drew another tube and pulled the needle out, bandaging the site.

"Good job, I bet it didn't even hurt!" She smiled as Sweetie nodded her head, holding the bandage to the sore spot.

"You're a brave one, kiddo. Congratulations on another flawless procedure, Nurse Gossamer." I joked and helped her label the samples. I gave Sweetie a hug as Goss cleaned up. We left the house soon after, walking down the street to the square. I let the girls and boys get checked in and made sure they got to the kids section safely. Goss met up with me again in the crowd.

"I just wanted to say thank you for making Sweetie feel better." She placed one of her arms around my back and the other on my chest. I slid my arm over her shoulders and smiled at her.

"It's the least I could do, I feel sorry for her, ya know?" I say and look down.

"Yeah, I kno-" She was cut off as a film started to roll. I didn't pay attention to it as I tilted my head against Goss's. It wasn't until the names were called that I started to care.

"Now, now, settle down! Good, ladies first!" Our escort sang and smiled down at us. He pulled out a little slip of paper and began to speak.

"Aphrodite Garcia, please come up." I saw a girl with a dirty face and unkempt hair walk up to the stage, emotionless. I saw Goss sigh in relief and her shoulders slumped.

"Alex Ridren, please come up!" What? No, that didn't happen. I'm just hearing things, I probably didn't get enough sleep last night. It wasn't until Goss's grip on me tightened as I realized the truth. I tried to move, but she held me tight.

"No!" She cried, her eyes watering and spilling over.

"Goss, just let go. I'll be fine." I shouted at her, my voice hitting a high octave as I fought back tears, and she released. I touched her hand before sulking up to the stage. I glared at the girl who was called and took my spot. I look into the crowd and met Goss's eyes, she had found Sweetie-Bell and was crying into the younger girls hair.


	19. District 7 and 8 Goodbyes

_**(A/N) I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever! I've just been a bit busy lately with my birthday, upcoming vacation, and the minor addition to our family~ I hope (hope) I'll be able to finish off all the reapings I need to do and the goodbyes (I've really been lacking on those) before the 10th of August. Please be patient, you know I'll try not to let you down! By the way, I've picked a rather…interesting…idea for the arena, what's that you say? You want a hint? **Spook ** There you go c;. SPONSOR QUESTION: IS CHARLES MANSON STILL ALIVE? IF NOT, WHAT YEAR DID HE DIE?**_

**District Seven Goodbye's, Key Jagger's POV**

My family is the first to arrive as I settle myself in the Goodbye room. It wouldn't be a bad place to crash, if I wasn't about to be murdered in an arena full of children. I thought back on the reaping, shuddering to think the crowd had seen my scar. But maybe –just maybe- it wasn't such a bad thing, could've given the competition a little scare, no? I was shaken from my fears when I felt little arms wrap around my waist. Medallion and Locket buried their dripping faces into my shirt, crying with muffled sobs. I always loved the twins, but I was at a loss of words as they sobbed.

"H-hey kids, look, don't cry. I mean…I won't let what happened to Ribbon happen to me; don't you trust your big brother?" I said, flinging out the first pathetic attempt I had at consolation. The twins weren't stupid, they knew I was probably never coming back home to them, but I felt better knowing I tried.

"I love you more than anything in the world, you guys are the best." Again, trying to stop the crying. Even I was getting a bit of a headache at this point, but I love them so much, I can't tell them to go away. My second attempt failed worse than the previous, Medallion and Locket screamed louder into my arm. I looked up at my parents, begging them to break the not-so-silent silence. My mother clung to my father's arm, crying softly while looking at me. Her stare was blank, lifeless –almost cryptic-.

"Listen to me, baby. Don't let what happened to your sister happen to you. You have to be smart out there, don't get attached to anyone. Stay away from those careers; you know what happens when you trust them! Win for me -for Ribbon-." She grabbed my hand and gave me a deep hug as she said the last part; the pain obvious in her voice as she croaked it out. My father broke the hug and gave one of his own.

"I'm so proud of you; you've been the best son we could've asked for. We know you're going to win, Key." He slapped me on the back, trying to retain some form of masculinity as he basically said goodbye for the last time. "I love you, we all do." Medallion and Locket nodded into my arm as my mother began to cry over the both of them. The peacekeepers bursted in the room, snatching up Medallion and Locket away from me. Two more came through, wrapping their arm around my mother as they dragged them away.

"No!" She screamed as she tried to hang onto the door frame.

"I love you!" I shouted, trying to contain my fury as they put their hands on my family. My father finally got my mother to leave and scooped the twins up. "I love you all…" I whispered, knowing they couldn't hear me. I shook the peacekeepers off of me as I walked myself to the train station, my head down to hide the tears.

**District Eight Goodbye's Aphrodite Garcia's POV**

The rooms too clean for my taste, personally, I would've loved to be hanging from a tree by this point. I've already accepted the fact that I'll probably die, but I'm not going down without a fight. I've done too much with my life for it to be thrown away in a damn arena; those people up in the capitol are going to get the show of their lives when they watch me. I was retrieved from my revenge as my father and Swan walked in.

"Oh- Oh God!" Swan cries as she throws her arms around me, obviously knowing she's loosing the closest thing she's had to a daughter. I let the woman cry and cry, not knowing what to do. All these emotions didn't do anything but make it harder to say goodbye. Don't get me wrong, I love Swan, but it's a bit hard to show it. I awkwardly patted her back, making sure to put as much emotion as I could into it.

"It'll be okay, Swan…" I say, shifting my gaze to my father. Swan nodded and got up. She took another look at me and started up another crying fit, having to sit on the couch for leverage. Through the chorus of lamenting and sobs, my father gave me a strong hug. He brings his mouth up to my ear and whispers softly.

"Your mother would have been so proud of your bravery." He manages to say before stepping away. When he realizes that he has more time, he again brings up the embrace. We don't break away, listening to poor Swan sobbing on the couch, before the peacekeepers walk in. "I love you, and your mother loves you." Swan thought he was referring to her, judging by the way she nodded, but I knew he meant my actual mother. I smile, about the only real emotion other than anger I can muster.

When the couple leaves, I hear a knock at the door. A group of the girls from my school are at the door. My fury seared as I looked at them. Were these the same girls that made my school life a living hell? Here to beg my forgiveness or wail about how much their sorry? No, they can burn for all I care.

"Go. Away." I manage to whisper as I slam the door in their pretty little faces. Their intentions might have been well, but I owed them nothing. Phoebe comes in next, a welcome face compared to those of the 'girls'.

"I-I just wanted to say good luck and all…" She says, hugging me.

"Look, I'll try to get home…Don't let those- those _girls_ make fun of you." I say, staring into her eyes.

"Yeah, I won't…." I smile and watch as she walks out the door. She was never a big talker, just like me. I run to the trains, hoping to get the heck out of dodge before the real tears come.

**District Eight Goodbye's Alex Ridren's POV**

_God Damnit, son of a whore_ I think, banging my fist into the wall. I have kids who depend on me each and every day to bring home some meager meal and keep them out of the orphanage. Everybody in this damn district knew that, and they didn't do a damn thing. Where will they be put now? They can't survive on their own, much less deal with my death. The boys are weak, it's my entire fault, I never raised them right. Ever since our parents left, I've babied and did everything for them, and now they're going to die without me. It's not _fair. _I formed a good sized dent in the wall before they come in, each dripping wet with a mix of snot and tears.

I pull Jamie, the oldest, to the side and look him straight in the eye.

"No matter what happens to me, you have to take care of your brothers. I won't be around anymore, and it's time to man up. I know you can do it, kiddo, you've always been the strongest. I'm sure my boss will let you take up my position at the factory, just don't screw it up and you guys might be able to stay at home. I'll make sure Goss and Sweetie will try their best to keep you boys fed. I love you." I say, about to cry before realizing _I _need to be strong for _them. _Jamie nods, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"I-I promise not to let you down, Alex… I'm sorry I've been such a butt to you lately… I love you, too." He says, hugging me. I ruffle his hair and try to smile. I returned him to the group and looked at the others. Draven and Jim.

"I wanted to tell you that I loved you all. I know I can be hard on you, but it's just because I've had so much to do when our parents left. I know it was wrong of me to take it out on you, but I know you'll forgive me. I promise to try my best for you." I say, hugging them both.

"We love you, Alex… I know you will." They say, hugging me back.

"Now listen, Jamie's going to be the big guy around the house now. You have to listen to _everything_ he says, got it? And I'll make sure Goss helps out. Draven, you'll need to go down to the markets every Thursday to sell what she gives you, don't accept anything less than 20 a piece." I say, getting the point across. The peacekeepers come in, daring to drag them out. I shoot them a glare and they back out, allowing my brothers to go freely.

Gossamer and Sweetie walk in, Gossamer with a blank expression.

"You idiot! Why the hell would you put in Tessarae orders? You could've just asked us for more shit to sell!" Sweetie yells, trying to push me down. The kid was a riot, always angry at something. I knew it was her way of saying 'I love you'. Goss shot Sweetie her little glare and the younger girl immediately stopped her assault.

"Stop it. Now." Goss says with a hint of sorrow in her abnormally stern voice. Yeah, were talking about the same Gossamer that cries when I bring home rabbit meat or harm a bug. Sweetie returns her arm to her side, inching away from her sister.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I just wanted to say; I really… like you?" Sweetie says, giving me a gentle hug. I nodded.

"No duh, look kiddo, I love you too. But in more of a 'friend for life' way." I joke, faking a smile. Her face blushes a bright red, and she scampers out of the room.

"Good luck…" She says, exiting the room. It's just me and Gossamer now. The girl breaks down. She begins to cry and whimper as she shakes her head in denial. I hold her close, letting her sob and let it all out.

"You're so stupid for putting your name in. You know we could've helped you out! Why would you do this to us –to your brothers-? No, no, I don't want to know. Just promise me you'll try." She cries.

"Yeah, I will. And you have to promise me that you won't let anything happen to my brothers." I say, she nods into my arm. "Good…I know we've only been, you know, dating for like a few months now, but I love you Goss."

"I love you too, but we both know there's no happy ending to this." I note the truth in her words, weighing out all the possible endings.

"You're right, but it had to be said." I hold her for a bit longer before the peacekeepers retrieved her, managing to get in a small kiss before being dragged to the trains.

_**(A/N) Again, I got lazy at the end XD.**_


End file.
